Amazing 3D visualization of the solar system’s known asteroids

I’m an ink-stained wretch. I love the printed word and reading real printed books and holding a newspaper. It pays for my livelihood and feeds my kids.

But the Internet allows us to do some mindblowing things when it comes to visualizing data, and this website is one example. The link takes you to an amazing three-dimensional visualization of 580,000 known asteroids throughout our solar system.

Our asteroids. Our solar system. Our galaxy. (Asterank)

Asterank, which created the map, used estimations of asteroid mass and composition from multiple scientific source to assess the relative commercial value of each asteroid. Based upon factors such as future proximity to Earth, the company also created a database of which asteroids might be most profitable to mine.

Some asteroids, the company says, have an estimated profit of more than $1 trillion. Perhaps one day Planetary Resources will cash in.